Seasonal treats abound as the Peggy Porschen Parlour celebrates Easter

Spring has well and truly sprung at the Peggy Porschen Parlour in London’s Belgravia. The counters are teaming with deliciously dainty Easter treats, each freshly baked on the premises.

The award-winning cake-maker’s seasonal collection is designed to include ideal gift ideas such as a Dozen Easter Egg Cookies, presented in a gift box, the Hatching Egg Cookie Box and the Baby Chocolate bunny.

Visitors to the parlour can select a slice of Peggy’s award winning Scrumptious Carrot Cake throughout March and April and enjoy with a pot of Floral Rose or Orange Flower tea within the Parlour’s perfectly pink surroundings or out in the spring sunshine.

The Easter Collection is available at the Peggy Porschen Parlour from March 1^st with selected items available to purchase online at www.peggyporschen.com.

The Peggy Porschen Academy

Peggy Porschen invites the world’s leading sugar craft stars to guest teach this summer at her London Academy

The Peggy Porschen Academy in London’s Belgravia will exclusively host two guest chefs this summer. For the First time, Wendy Kromer and Jacqueline Butler will travel to the UK to teach a series of masterclasses at London’s only cookery school entierely dedicated to baking, cake decorating and sugar craft. Both highly regarded stars of the sugar craft worldhave been chosen for their unique skills and style, Jacqueline is one ofthe world’s best sugar flower artists and proprietor of the California based Petalsweet company, and Wendy for her extensive repertoire and years of cake design experience working alongside Martha Stewart as Contributing Editor of Martha Stewart Weddings Magazine.

Wendy Kromer & Martha Stewart

Wendy Kromer said “The artistry, beauty & perfection of Peggy Porschen’s work inspires! Like Peggy, I too have found an incredible enjoyment in teaching. I’m thrilled to share my techniques with the Peggy Porschen Academy’s ‘rising stars’!”

About Wendy Kromer

In 1993, after a decade as a Paris-based fashion model, Wendy Kromer-Schell moved to New York City and enrolled in the professional Pastry & Baking program at Peter Kump School of Culinary Art. There, a life-time love for the pastry arts soon turned into a career.On completion of her Pastry Arts degree, Wendy worked with Colette Peters of Colette’s Cakes fame. Shortly after, Wendy presented her first “sugar artwork” at the Culinary Art Show (NYC), earning her 1st Place, as well as the attention of the Editors at Martha Stewart Living.

Since 1995, Wendy has worked as a Contributing Editor for Martha Stewart. She has produced the wedding cake stories viewed in Martha Stewart Weddings; many of the decorated cookies, cakes, and other sugar related stories in Martha Stewart Living; Martha Stewart for Macy’s; various catalogs; and MS-TV.Wendy co-authored her first book with Martha, titledMartha Stewart’s Wedding Cakes (Clarkson Potter, 2007) featuring over 100 of her Wedding Cake designs, along with recipes, how-to’s and design inspirations.

Other publications & TV programs featuring Wendy’s work include Baking with Julia; Colin Cowie Weddings; The Lake House Cookbook; In Style; Woman’s Day; People; Williams-Sonoma; and Oprah.

In 2003, Wendy opened Wendy Kromer Confections – a design studio & gallery, dedicated to the art of the Wedding Cake and in January 2012, Wendy opened theWKCafe, a charming café within her Cake Gallery.

Wendy continues to serve clients worldwide, through Martha Stewart Weddings; Sandals Resorts;
Speaking engagements; classes, and wendykromer.com.

Wendy will teach 2 courses at the Peggy Porschen Academy this June.

Jacqueline Butler of Petalsweet

Jacqueline Butler commented “I’m absolutely thrilled and honored to have the opportunity to be a Guest Instructor at The Peggy Porschen Academy! Peggy has been a wonderful inspiration for me as both an artist and cake designer, and I have a tremendous amount of respect for the business she has created from her passions for baking and sugarcraft. I’m looking forward to working with her and her incredible team. It will be a great pleasure to meet and work with the students and share my style of flower-making and design with them! We’ll create some of my favourite signature flowers together, and students will also go home with some great tips and techniques they can use when creating on their own.”

About Jacquline Butler

One of the world’s best respected sugar flower artists and proprietor of Petalsweet, located in San Diego, Jacqueline first learned how to bake when enrolled in professional weekend courses at the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco, and very quickly fell in love with cake decorating.

Inspired by her studies, she began studying the art of wedding cake design, and specifically the unique craft of making sugar flowers. Initially self-taught and determined to refine her skills, Jacqueline pursued the talents of industry leaders and travelled extensively to study the art of sugar flowers with a variety of experts including Colette Peters, Scott Woolley, Nicholas Lodge and Ron Ben-Israel. Meticulous practice and attention to detail solidified her impeccable, signature style and in 2003 Jacqueline started a small custom cake business, Petalsweet, in La Jolla, California. After earning rave reviews for her sugar flowers from both clients and colleagues, she changed her focus from cake production to teaching sugar art, and since 2010 has been expanding her teachings throughout the U.S. and internationally.

Petalsweet sugar flowers are instantly recognizable for their fresh, modern and sophisticated style. Jacqueline has a true artist’s eye for colour, detail, balance and perfection. As a result, her innovative techniques, stylized flowers and cake toppers have established numerous trends in floral cake design within the industry. She is continuously inspired by nature, beautiful textiles, and her wonderful students, and is known for her open, patient and thorough teaching style.

Jacqueline’s work has been featured in and on the cover of American Cake Decorating Magazine, as well as highlighted on popular websites such as Style Me Pretty, and in many national industry blogs. She has been a guest contributor on the German sugarcraft e-zine, The Cake Pirate, and a featured instructor at cake decorating schools and conferences around the world. Jacqueline also created a highly acclaimed online video with the popular website, Craftsy, offering detailed tutorials for several of her favourite flowers. In addition, her work continues to earn awards and recognition in both local and international sugar art competitions.

Jacqueline will teach two classes at the Peggy Porschen Academy in August

Peggy Porschen said“The initial idea behind my Academy was to educate and encourage a higher skill level and a modern approach to cake decorating, Jacqueline and Wendy are both truly inspirational artists, ‘rock stars’ of the cake world so to speak, and each has been chosen to guest teach at the Academy for their unique skills, style and techniques. They are pioneers of their craft and I am thrilled to be bringing them to London for the first time to share their invaluable knowledge and experience with my students “

Places are very limited and early booking is highly recommended. Masterclass places start from £845. To book your place click here 

Course Details

Floral Applique Cake with Wendy Kromer

Join Wendy Kromer as she walks you thru the steps for making one of her top-selling, timeless Wedding Cakes…the charming Floral Applique Cake, first viewed in Martha Stewart Weddings. You’ll learn her “dressmakers” techniques for creating a variety of fabric-inspired flowers from gum paste; as well as work with white chocolate modelling paste, rolled fondant and royal icing.

Under Wendy’s tutelage, Students will learn the techniques for making each type of flower; how to create “hexagonal” tiers (without special pans); how to create their own blend of white chocolate fondant; and how to create their own “floral stories” on each panel of their tiers. Upon completion of the class, students are invited to take their finished Cakes home, for their own shop display!

Lambeth Piping Skills Class with Wendy Kromer

The exquisite, decorative border lessons covered in this class will give the serious Cake Designer, an understanding of the methods taught by Joseph Lambeth, in his book, The Lambeth Method of Cake Decoration and Practical Pastries, (1934).  Wendy incorporates many of these methods on her cakes featured in Martha Stewart Weddings, and for her Clients. These lessons, combined with Wendy’s sense of design, will inspire & guide one to an advanced level of piping skills.

Large Blooms…Open Peony and Parrot Tulips with Jacqueline Butler

In this two day floral workshop, students will learn how to make two of Petalsweet’s signature flowers, the beautiful, over-sized Open Peony (with stamens) and the fun and fabulous Parrot Tulip. Corresponding buds and leaves will also be covered where appropriate. During the course, students will use modelling techniques to make flower centers, and then use cutters, veiners and specific techniques to create buds, leaves, and the many wired petals needed to form their large blooms. Once all of the components are dry, students will also learn Jacqueline’s signature colouring and dusting techniques, as well as taping, assembling, and finishing touches to complete their flowers.

Learning outcomes:

• Modeling flower centers and using stamens
• Creating buds using layers of petals
• Creating wired leaves
• Creating wired petals
• Dusting and coloring techniques
• Coloring and glazing leaves
• Taping and assembling large flowers
• Favorite finishing touches

Springtime Favourites: Ranunculus/Sweet Peas/Filler Flowers with Jacqueline Butler

In this two day floral workshop, students will learn how to make several Petalsweet favourites…a stylized version of the adorable Ranunculus flower, delicate Sweet Peas in all stages of bloom, and several variations of our widely used Filler Flowers. During the course, students will use modelling techniques to make flower centres and buds, as well as cutters, veiners and wiring techniques to create their ranunculus flowers, sweet pea blossoms and leaves. Lovely and versatile pulled flowers and leaves will also be created using just a few tools, but without using cutters. Students will also learn Jacqueline’s signature colouring and dusting techniques, as well as taping, assembling, and finishing touches to complete their flowers. As time permits, Jacqueline will discuss and demonstrate some of her favourite arranging techniques using the flowers made in class.

Learning outcomes:

• Modeling buds and flower centers
• Creating flowers with layered petals
• Creating pulled flowers and leaves without using cutters
• Creating wired leaves
• Dusting and coloring techniques
• Taping and assembly
• Tips and techniques for arranging sugar flowers

Boutique Baking

Delectable cakes, cookies and teatime treats

Peggy Porschen

Published May 2012, £20, hardback

‘….Seductive and indulgent, this is Peggy’s most accessible book to date’

This new book captures the essence of Peggy’s technical skill and inspired use of colour while also ensuring that each cake is both achievable and delicious to eat. The recipes are inspired by the fresh produce served daily at the Peggy Porschen Parlour.

Boutique Baking is Peggy’s fourth literary title and has an unrivalled range of recipes that combines traditional baking with chic, simple finishing touches. The first chapter, Sweet Treats, features all-time favourites such as Meringue kisses and Macaroons as well as Peggy’s take on Cake Pops.

In Beautiful Biscuits there are recipes inspired by her German origins including Gingerbread Men and Mulled Wine Stars. The third chapter focuses on the most desirable cake phenomenon of the decade – the cup cake, and Peggy gives away the secret of her incredibly scrumptious repertoire of gourmet cupcakes.

The Luscious Layer Cake chapter provides stunning ideas for sophisticated occasions while Classic Cakes & Bakes shows how to revive traditional recipes, creating gorgeous looking and delicious cakes, such as Neapolitan marble cake and Chocolate Battenberg.

Last but certainly not least the book closes with a chapter on fabulous finishing touches, basic recipes for frostings and fillings, and delicious ideas for home-made drinks that perfectly accompany the cakes.

Pre-Order a signed copy form our online Gift-Shop now.

A Great Taste Award can only be given after a rigorous judging process, each product is tested by a number of expert teams and all must be in complete agreement for the Gold to be awarded as it means that the product was judged ‘virtually faultless’. Peggy Porschen’s winning chocolate cupcake was described as ‘wonderful, fluffy and yummy’, the Black Forest cupcake, a twist on the traditional German gateau was labelled ‘really quite delicious’ and the Tipsy Orange Truffle layer cake was noted for excellence and elegance. The Scrumptious Carrot cake was awarded for all aspects including presentation, smell, flavour and texture.

Opening in October 2010, the pink parlour at the corner of Elizabeth Street unveiled Peggy Porschen’s first ‘ready to eat’ collection of handcrafted haute cuisine cakes and confectionary. The highly sought after London cake-designer previously offered a made-to-order service only, catering to the stars, high society and international royalty alike and now the parlour’s freshly baked daily creations have become the sweet treats to be seen with amongst Belgravia’s chic set. As the raft of Great Taste awards suggest, not only are Peggy’s fashionable cakes exquisite in appearance but also in taste.

Peggy Porschen, Creative Director said: “I am incredibly proud and delighted to receive not just one but four Great Taste Awards! It is testament to years of recipe tweaking and testing, a passion for perfection and to the hard work of my expert team of master bakers, patissiers and highly skilled sugar artists who I have selected to work with me at the Parlour from around the world, each chosen for their unique skill and flair for flavour. I was determined to raise the bar with my cupcakes, adding gourmet touches to set them apart from my competitors. I truly appreciate the recognition.” 

The Great Taste Awards, organized by the Guild of Fine Food, are now in their 18^th year and going from strength to strength.  7481 products were entered from 1600 companies for the 2011 Great Taste Awards. It took 350 experts 34 days to blind taste all of the entries and decide which would achieve the coveted one, two and three star gold awards.  

The Great Taste Awards judging standards, devised by the Guild of Fine Food, are the most rigorous in the UK. To achieve the 3-star rating a minimum of 20 -more often 30 - judges need to be in complete agreement that the food delivered that indefinable ‘wow’ factor.

Bob Farrand, Chairman for The Great Taste Awards, said: “Winning Gold in the country’s largest and most respected independent food accreditation scheme is a massive pat on the back for any producer - independent proof their products are of the highest quality.  We provide constructive feedback from our expert judging teams and for many, winning 1, 2 or 3-star Gold is exactly what’s needed to help grow their businesses, even during a recession. Every winner should feel very proud that their hard work has been rewarded.”

A full list of award-winning products is available at www.greattasteawards.co.uk, and can be searched by region, award or product category.

A collection of handmade jams inspired by Peggy’s world renowned cake recipes are available to buy online and in store at the Peggy Porschen Parlour. Delicious simply served with freshly baked scones or ideal for filling homemade cakes and pastries to add a professional finish. The collection includes an array of distinctive flavours, from fruity preserves such as Purple Raspberry & Rose and a punchy Passion fruit, to indulgent combinations such as Strawberry & champagne, Orange & Cointreau, or Peggy’s signature recipe Lemon & Limóncello. The collection is entirely exclusive to Peggy Porschen and priced at £6.95 per jam.